Biography

Freestyle is a Swedish synth pop band that was internationally popular during 1981-1982, hitting the upper reaches of the singles charts in Sweden and Norway before splitting up in 1983. A few bandmembers experienced even greater success afterward as founders of the chart-topping synth pop band Style. Founded in 1978, Freestyle is comprised of Christer Sandelin, Tommy Ekman, Joakim Hagleitner, Gigi Hamilton, Diane Corinne Söderholm, and Anders Uddberg. Another member, Kayo (aka Kayo Shekoni), left the band in 1981 and went on to a successful solo career of his own in the '90s. Freestyle made their full-length debut in 1981 with Fantasi on the label Sound of Scandinavia after releasing a few singles the prior year. One of the band's early singles, "Vill Ha Dej," became an international smash hit in 1981, topping the singles chart in Sweden for five straight weeks and reaching number two in neighboring Norway. Fantasi was similarly popular, topping the albums chart in Sweden and reaching the Top Ten in Norway. Moreover, an English-language version of Fantasi was released in 1981 as Fantasy, and several follow-up singles were released in the wake of "Vill Ha Dej." Freestyle's second album, Modiga Agenter (1982), was another big hit, reaching the Top Five in Sweden and the Top 20 in Norway. Among the album's singles, "Ögon Som Glittrar" was most popular, reaching the Top Five in Sweden and the Top Ten in Norway. At the height of its success, the band split up, with the trio of Ekman, Sandelin, and Hamilton leaving to found Style, essentially a continuation of Freestyle with fewer members. Then after Style broke up in 1989, all three embarked on solo careers. In the aftermath of Freestyle's demise, numerous best-of compilations were released, among them 10 (1995) and Guldkorn (1998). ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi